Improvement in air guns or pistols



H. M. nuAcKENusH. Air Guns and Pistols. L

Patented Nv.17,f1874.

WITN ESSES.

UNITED STATES PATEMYQEEIOE.

HENRY M. QUAOKENBUSH, OE HERKIMER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR To ALBERT A. POPE,OE BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN AIR GUNS OR PISTOLS.

, Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 156,S90, datedNovember 17, 1874; application filed October 13, 1874.

17o all whom it muy concern Be it known that I, HENRY M. QUAOKEN- BUSH,of Herkimer, Herkimer county, N ew York, have invented certainImprovements in Air Guns or Pistols, of which the following is aspecification:

This invention relates to a class of toy guns for shootin g darts orother light projectiles, in which a plunger impelled suddenly by thestress of a powerful Spring within a closed chamber whose outlet :is thebarrel of the gun drives the air from such through such barrel, andexpels the projectilewhich has been placed in the rear or breech endofthe barrel, thel plunger being driven in a direction opposite to thattaken by the projectile in its liight through the barrel. lhe inventionconsists in a certain arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafterexplained, whereby I obtain greater efficiency in action, in diminishingthe gun when necessary.

rIhe drawings accompanying this specification represent, in Figure l, alongitudinal s'ection of an air-pistol embodying my improvements. Fig. 2is an elevation of a portion of the barrel, and of the tubular receiverand airreservoir which contains the plunger and spring. Figs. 3 and4 arecross-sections of the pistol, the former being taken through the claspwhich contines the barrel to the plunger, or the rod which forces theplunger against the pressure of the spring.

In these drawings, A represents a tubular case or cylinder, the chamberor interior of which constitutes a reservoir for air, which enters andleaves it through a port or passage, a, in its upper part, a suitablepistol stock or handle, B, being cast integral with such cylinder, whileupon the rear part of said cylinder or receiver I cast a hollow boss orhood, C, open at front to receive or coincide with the breech end of thebarrel, and constituting the breech-block of the arm, the recess b ofthe recoil-block being a continuation of the air-port a., beforereferred to. The barrel is shown at D as mounted at its rear upon thetop of the cylinder A, and sliding longitudinally thereof in a tubularstud,`E, cast upon the upper part of such cylinder, the

sight of the pistol being shown at F as attached to or making part ofthis stud. When the` barrel is closed tightly up against the breechblockG by means of a powerful sprin g, as hereinafter explained, its boreconstitutes the only passage for air from the cylinder A, and when suchbarrel is to be loaded it is moved away from the breech-block, and thedart or other projectile is inserted within its open end. Within thecylinder or receiver A, I dispose a plunger, G, which is preferablytubular, and receives one end of a coiled spring, H, formed of a flatthin ribbon of steel, this spring being disposed Within the cylinder,and exerting a stress between the outer end or cap of the latter in onedirection and the plunger at the other, and consequently operating toimpel the said plunger with great power and rapidity from one end of thecylinder to the other. As it is necessary to connect the barrel with thespring and plunger, in order that when the barrel is withdrawn in theact of loading the piston may be advanced and the spring contracted, andas I desire to obtain a connection of such character that I can readilydetach the barrel from the other parts of the arm, I employ a yoke orclasp composed of a flat band, I, the fold of which clasps the barrel,while the ends inclose or straddle the outer` end of a slender rod, c,which passes longitudinally and axially through the cylinder A and theplunger G, and is provided at rear with a head, d, of a size to advancethe piston against the power of the spring. The two ends or straps of`the clasp I are clamped toward each other and upon the rod c bysetscrews e e, and by loosening these screws the gripe of the clasp uponthe rod is relaxed, and

the barrel may be instantly removed from the arm.

This mode of attaching the barrel to the plunger enables me to instantlyand accurately adjust the relative positions ofthe barrel and spring andplunger with respect to the breech-block, and has the further advantageof entirely preventing scarring or defacement of the said barrel. Theouter end or mouth of the cylinder A is closed by a cap or plug, f,which is screwed into it, this cap being formed with an integral nut orpolygonal stud, g, to receive a wrench by which the cap is unscrewed,said cap serving to resist the4 stress of the spring H, and to confinethe latter within the cylinderjfarfd at the same time constituting aguide fr the rod c. The trigger of the arm is shown at h as let into andpivoted within the handle B, and near the under side of the cylinder theupper end of this trigger protruding into such cylinder to such anextent as to intercept the plunger when the latter is pushed forward toits greatest extent. The trigger-guard is shown at 13, and the rearspring at k. Upon the top of the cylinder A, and below the barrel D, Iplace a plate-sprin g, Z, which intercepts the barrel when the latter isadvanced in the act of loading, and holds the barrel in this positionagainst accidental release of the trigger, until the said spring islowered.

In using this pistol the barrel is grasped in one hand, and pulledoutward to such an extent that the plunger is advanced in front of thetrigger, and the spring H contracted to its greatest extent. The dart orprojectile is placed in the breech end of the barrel, the spring Zlowered, and the barrel returned to place against the hollowbreech-block C, the rod c returning with the barrel, in order that theplunger may be free to slide upon without obstruction from its head. Apull upon the trigger releases the plunger, and the spring impels itsuddenly and with great force to the rear, the air within the cylinderin rear of such piston being driven upward through the port a,breech-block C, and the barrel D, as a consequence driving the dart orprojectile before it, and expelling it from the barrel. As theprojectile escapes from the barrel, the air enters the latter, and, asthe piston is advanced, fills the cylinder A behind such piston.

By my construction I obtain great simplicity of construction, whichenables me to manufacture these toys at comparatively small expense. Iam also enabled to completely dismember the armthat is, to remove thebarrel or the spring and plunger-at a moments notice by unscrewing onescrew, c, onl the one hand, or the cap f on the other, and I obtain4 avery neat, compact, and convenient pistol. I claiml. The sliding barrelD and cylinder A, in

combination with the spring-impelled plunger G and rod c, connecting theplunger with the barrel, for operation substantially as set forth.

2.' In combination with the barrel and the plunger-rod, the adjustableclasp I, substantially as and for the purposes shown and described.

3. The cap f, with its stud g, in combination with the spring H, rod c,and barrel D, substantially as and for purposes stated.

H. M. QUAOKENBUSH..

Vitnesses:

ALBERT A. POPE, W, E. BOARDMAN.

